'03 Yamaha Banshee Was Made Into a Restomod Ripper

The Rise and Fall of the Banshee

The Yamaha YFZ350 Banshee made waves when launched in the United States in 1987. The excitement was due to its unconventional twin-cylinder two-stroke liquid-cooled 347-cc powerplant. This was based on a version of another classic Yamaha machine: the RZ350 two-stroke street motorcycle.

The Banshee engine’s high-revving characteristics quickly earned it a reputation for high performance that, through the years, became renowned among motocross and cross-country racers. The enthusiasm was even stronger with dune riders and sand drag racers, thanks to the massive power output that allows the machine to zoom across wet and heavy sand.

But the Banshee is about more than just horsepower. Combined with its lightweight chassis, long-travel suspension, and exceptional power-to-weight ratio, the Banshee became one of the most formidable quads on the market in the late 1980s and 1990s. That is until Yamaha stopped producing the Banshee in 2006 due to increased emissions regulations. Despite being out of production for 17 years, the Banshee remains a legendary quad still popular today.

Twin-Cylinder Big-Bore Two-Stroke Screamer

With one quick glance at this Yamaha YFZ350, you’ll immediately notice how this heavily modified version of the Banshee takes a lightning-fast machine to a whole new level.

The BPRATV Banshee 421 Cheetah Cub big-bore kit is at the heart of this Banshee restomod. This kit adds an extra 74 cc, turning the Banshee into an even faster 421-cc beast. In addition to increasing cubic centimeters, the kit also adds these goodies:

35mm Keihin PWK carbs
Hotrods crankshafts
K&N pod filters
Shearer in-frame chrome exhaust pipes and matching silencers
V-Force 4 reeds
A West Coast Cool head
Wiseco Pro Lite pistons

A Stunning Custom Quadracer

The seller of this Yamaha Banshee added other performance extras and cosmetic updates to give this ATV its unique identity. To put all that power to the ground, they installed a Wiseco heavy-duty clutch kit, a billet clutch basket, and a billet water pump impeller to help keep things running strong and staying cool.

For improved handling, the front and rear shocks were re-valved by Arizona’s Jogaca Suspension Works. That will give the ATV better overall track and trail performance.

Cosmetically, this 421 Yamaha Banshee is a beauty. Its dark-black theme has blue accents in well-chosen spots, including the seat cover, graphics, and color-matched wheels. Another flashy stylistic addition is the chrome stator and clutch covers with clear Lexan windows that provide a view of the inner workings of the Banshee clutch, stator, and flywheel. Finally, black ProTaper handlebars have been matched with a new set of ODI grips that complete the look of this incredible ATV.